Inside Eleanor Roosevelt’s fashionable Upper East Side home - currently on the market for $16 million

If you’ve ever wanted to live in a luxe kingdom of American heritage, now is your chance. While the White House isn’t up for grabs, you can stay in the second-best thing - Eleanor Roosevelt’s former Manhattan townhouse. 

The modern home, which is currently listed for $16 million, is located in New York’s prestigious Upper East Side neighborhood at 55 East 74th Street. Mrs. Roosevelt was known to overlook the Brown-Stone-filled street as she wrote her syndicated newspaper column, My Day, from her desk in the window of this property. 

Before her era as a writer, Eleanor served as the longest-serving First Lady of the United States while her husband, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, spent four terms in office between 1933 to 1945. After her time in the most recognized building in DC, Eleanor served as an activist and diplomat, standing as an American Delegate to the United Nations General Assembly until the 1950s.

With such a prominent position in society, it is unsurprising that Mrs. Roosevelt welcomed a host of dignitaries through these townhouse doors. Guests include John F. Kennedy, the former President of the Soviet Union, Nikita Khrushchev, and esteemed composer Leonard Bernstein who also sought sanctuary in one of the home’s six-bedrooms. 

Listing agents, Compass, have suggested the property has enough room to accommodate up to 500 guests - so these esteemed parties can continue just as soon as the pandemic allows. 

The home has a particular way of drenching all who enter through its historic doors in the quintessential Manhattan glamor with its Louis XIV chandelier that hangs from the 12-foot ceilings. Leading from this space is a grand staircase, which has access to the property’s twelve rooms, five floors, and five and a half bathrooms. The main bathroom has a therapeutic soaking tub which is perfect for detoxing after a day amid the New York City hustle.

Beyond the bright white tones of the entrance hall, the house boasts a stylized living room - complete with a statement fireplace and period curved windows. The refined minimalist design continues into its striking and stylish white kitchen with its large island and adjoining dining area.  

The exterior of Eleanor Roosevelt’s former home is equally as impressive - with a secret garden at the rear and the crowning glory - a private rooftop garden with views across Central Park and the Carlyle Hotel, which towers above East 76th Street. It is from this verdant haven that guests and homeowners alike can raise a glass of champagne to the unrivaled style and sophistication of architects Buchman and Deisler’s nineteenth-century property. The townhouse was home to Mrs. Roosevelt until her death in 1962.

See: Explore an elegant apartment in Manhattan's Upper East Side

We have a certain feeling this iconic home will remain a bright and timeless jewel in the Upper East Side’s crown for centuries to come.